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By 'eck! Now it's equal rights for Northerners
SourceLabour is opening up a new front in its obsession with equal rights. It wants to stamp out prejudice against... Northerners.
The extraordinary plans are being dreamed up by Harriet Harman, the Government’s equalities supremo and Gordon Brown’s deputy.
The Mail on Sunday has learned that she wants to introduce rules to halt discrimination against people from ‘up North’ and other regions, and has instructed her Equalities Office to look at ‘diversity proposals’ to stop Londoners and other Southerners lording it over the rest of the country.
Equalities Minister Michael Foster said the intention was to prevent membership of the boards of national public bodies being too ‘London-centric or South-East-centric’.
His remark will spark fears that hundreds of public organisations – from the Arts Council to the Big Lottery Fund – will be required to have special quotas for Yorkshiremen, Geordies or Cornishmen whenever a vacancy comes up on their boards.
Ms Harman already aims to increase the proportion of women on quango boards from 33 per cent now to 50 per cent by 2011, and increase the representation of ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
Last night the Tories ridiculed the latest plans. Theresa May, the Shadow Minister for Women, said: ‘Labour’s unhealthy obsession with a tick-box culture has often been at the expense of competence and efficiency. It is important that all public bodies represent a cross-section of views but it is vital that appointments are made on merit.’
Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire, condemned the plans as ‘equal opportunities gone berserk’ and ‘patronising to Northern people’.
Ms Harman, nicknamed ‘Harriet Harperson’ due to her politically-correct zeal, has already been warned by fellow Cabinet Minister John Denham that her obsession with equality is upsetting middle-class voters.
Ms Harman, who is also overseeing new legislation to require public bodies to promote class equality, has caused fury at No10 by suggesting that bus services should be targeted at poorer areas and away from middle-class suburbs where people could afford cars.
But in a little-noticed debate at Westminster, it emerged that her office is poised to open a new front in its obsession with equal rights.
Mr Foster was challenged by Yorkshire MP Meg Munn to stop people from the South East dominating the boards of public bodies based in London but that have a national remit.
Sheffield-born Ms Munn, a former Minister for Women and Equality, demanded action on ‘how we can get fewer people from the South East and more people from a wider area’ to serve on the boards.
Mr Foster revealed that the Government was already looking at the issue. ‘You make an important point,’ he said. ‘National boards still seem to have that problem, so an important part of our diversity proposals is that regional targeting will be part of future planning.’
He promised more research to work out the make-up of key quangos, saying: ‘That is an important aspect in determining whether there is true diversity and we will monitor it.’
In a statement last night, the Equalities Office said: ‘We want to see more diversity in public appointments. We have just launched an action plan to get more under-represented groups such as women, ethnic minorities and disabled people on to the boards of public bodies.
‘The plan includes a campaign to encourage people from such groups to apply for public appointments.’
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